Column: Loving what you do makes it easy to work for years

Sunday

Dec 16, 2012 at 12:01 AMDec 16, 2012 at 9:49 PM

Billís note: Many years ago (in 1971), a tall and lanky young man of 17 came to our house from Sweden. His name: Karl Eneroth. He was a foreign-exchange student and was assigned to us because he was interested in journalism, and I was editor of The Gazette. Karl went back home, got a job on a newspaper and has remained with it since. He also teaches journalism in Stockholm. Karl has a brother ó Kenneth ó who also worked for the paper. The other day, Kenneth retired. Karl emailed me about Kenneth and wondered if I would write something about him to be used in the next dayís paper, the Bargslagsbladet. I wrote a piece and emailed it to Karl right away. The following is what I wrote.

Hey Kenneth, I was standing in the yard a while ago when a little bird flew over and dropped something on me. This time, it was nice. It was a note that told me that you would be retiring from The Bargslagsbladet after 45 years of service. What a record! So, I get in line (a LONG line) to offer my congratulations for such a wonderful service to the paper and its readers. I know why you worked so hard and waited so long to retire: You loved what you did. You made pictures, and you wrote stories, and the words and photos were like good music; and your readers loved it. They called you on the phone, and they saw you on the street, and they yelled to you across the soccer field: ďHey, Kenneth, that was a great picture that you made!Ē Or, ďHey, Kenneth, you certainly nailed that story about the kid and his ingrown toenail!Ē Some people tell me that they do not enjoy working, that they hate going to work. Well, that could be difficult to understand. As you know, you and I have been riding in the same boat, sort of. My job also has been putting words and pictures together for quite a while. The fact that you stayed around for so long indicates that there were few days when you couldnít tell the world: ďI canít wait to get to work to see whatís happening today!Ē Iím not saying that your job has been easy. Of course, itís not easy; and there are days when you donít feel like doing what you have to do. But you have to do it anyway; and you do it. And it has shown up in your writings, and the result is that your readers have a huge spot in their minds for what you have written, and those pictures you have made. Column writers have an obligation to write. You and I are lucky. We felt the call, and we answered. And, our bosses heard the answers and decided to keep us on. In my mind, writing a column (especially illustrated with pictures) is one of the most satisfying things a writer can do. You are one of the lucky ones. I havenít been able to read much of your writing, but it has to be good or the paperís management would have shown you the door a long time ago. I visited your paper a few years back. I liked what I saw. Since then, newspapers have become computerized. There are all kinds of bells and whistles that keep the presses running. Itís not the bells and whistles, however, that keep the presses running. Itís what is in the paper. Down through those 45 years, you have had a lot to do with what appeared in the paper. Now, you should be proud! Your readers listened to your heartbeat all those years. And, they will miss that sound when they open the paper and itís not there anymore. Let me close with a little ditty: If you keep your nose to the grindstone rough, And hold it down there long enough, In time, you will say thereís no such thing As brooks that babble and birds that sing. These three things will your world compose: Just you, the stone and your bloody nose. Congratulations on your retirement. Your friend, Bill Williams